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Ryanair threaten to drop Italy
Ryanair is saying it might ditch Italy ... and it's not just a publicity stunt. The low-cost airline says that new rules on which forms of identification are acceptable for boarding compromise security. The new reg, from Italy's civil aviation authority, ENAC, makes licenses for driving, fishing and hunting fine for use at the gate, along with government badges and other documents. This isn't good enough for Ryanair. Michael O'Leary, the company's CEO, said in a statement, "We are really sorry for the inconveniences that this decision will cause." He continued, "It's completely inappropriate for ENAC to introduce measures that reduce security on Italian domestic flights, compared with the security measures successfully used on all Ryanair flights in the EU and all Ryanair domestic flights in every other EU country."
In protest – and, ostensibly, for security concerns – Ryanair is keeping its domestic flights among 10 Italian airports grounded from January 23, 2010 until the issue is fixed to O'Leary's satisfaction.
Meanwhile, ENAC claims that the change is based on a 2000 law and that the other airlines are playing ball. In a statement, the agency said, "No carrier can operate on the national domestic market without respecting the rules." It added, "Ryanair is the only EU and international operator that demands to fly in Italy without respecting Italian law."
I feel strange writing this, but I agree with Michael O'Leary. Fully. A hunting license doesn't strike me as sufficient identification to board a plane. I'm not an alarmist, but a bit of diligence is a good idea.
I feel strange writing this, but I agree with Michael O'Leary. Fully. A hunting license doesn't strike me as sufficient identification to board a plane. I'm not an alarmist, but a bit of diligence is a good idea.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fabrizio Dec 27th 2009 8:32AM
I would like to explain better the real issue, since Ryanair uses the "Hunting License" as a cover-up.
In Italy you can board by law on any domestic flight showing a document with your photo id issued by any authorized government office. Most of people use the Passport or the national ID card, but some others documents (like hunting licenses) are good, because they are released with the same security checks of other documents by government offices (not by private held organizations).
The problem with Ryainair is that they don't allow anything different from the Passport or the ID Card, but while nobody is complaining about the possibility to use the "fishing permit" (probably less than 0,0001% of passengers tryed to use it) the big problem is the AT/BT ID Card that they refuse to accept. This card is an ID issued to police and military forces and their relatives (wifes, sons...) and it's commonly used in Italy instead of the ID Card. They are equivalent to an ID Card, and issued by the ministery of the defence or the ministery of the internal affairs.
People that uses a AT/BT ID Card are a lot, since we are talking about most of the soldiers, officers, police officers, and their relatives. All other airlines accepts the AT/BT cards for domestic flights, because the Italian law allows this, and the AT/BT cards are perfectly safe (probably more than the standard ID card).
So really I can't understand where's the issue with Ryanair...